Home of the Cyclones
by riley-poole27
Summary: Melissa,Natalie,Raphael McCall, and John Stilinski all become close friends as they start Beacon Hills High School as freshmen. Melissa/Stilinski, Melissa/Raphael.
1. Chapter 1

Melissa Garcia was excited and nervous for her first day of high school. Finally, she would be a freshman, in the ninth grade. Melissa checked her first day of school outfit, new blue jeans and a blue top she'd bought at the mall last week. She pulled her long, black hair into a ponytail and grabbed her backpack.

"Aren't you going to have breakfast?" Her mom asked, watching her daughter lace up her sneakers.

"Can't eat. I'm so nervous." Melissa said, grabbing her jacket out of the hall closet.

"Bye, Melissa! Have fun at school." Her mom said, as she ran out the door. Melissa caught the school bus at the end of the block, and picked a seat near the back.

As soon as the bus pulled up to Beacon Hills High School, Melissa got off the bus, and started looking around for her friends. She picked up her class schedule from the office, and skimmed it. History, math, science, art, gym . . .

"What classes did you get?" Natalie Walters asked her. She flicked her strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder, and grinned at Melissa. "Cool, check it out! We have almost all the same classes this semester. Thank god." She said, excitedly.

"I'm so glad to see you! It's been such a long summer without anyone to hang out with!" Melissa told her, hugging Natalie.

Melissa glanced around at the passing students. "I wonder who else will be in our classes." She said.

"More specifically, which hot guys." Natalie said. Melissa laughed.

"If we're allowed to pick partners, you're my first choice." Melissa said.

"That sounds good." Natalie said, pocketing her schedule.

The bell rang, and the two girls ran to get to their first class. They chose seats in the back, alongside two boys. Melissa recognized the taller boy from junior high. Raphael McCall had curly black hair and a charming smile. He'd been on the basketball team, and one of the more popular kids. She didn't recognize the blond teen sitting quietly beside Raph.

"Hi," Melissa said, taking out her notebook and pen. "Who's your friend?" She asked Raphael.

"Guys, this is John Stilinski." Raphael told the girls.

"Hey, John," Melissa said. "Did you go to our junior high?"

He nodded. "I don't think we had any classes together, though. You're Melissa, right?" He said.

"Yeah, and this is my best friend Natalie." Melissa said. "Wow, your eyes are so pretty," She said, leaning in to look at John's pale blue eyes.

"Uhh . . . thanks." He said, blushing.

Once class was over, Melissa picked up her books, and slipped them into her backpack. It was time for gym, which she wasn't really as enthused about. Melissa and Natalie changed into their gym shorts and t-shirt, and joined their classmates in the centre of the gymnasium.

"Alright, kids! Today we're going to play dodgeball." Coach Harvey said, blowing into his whistle. "Guys against girls! To your sides! You all know the rules – no headshots, nothing below the waist. As soon as you've been hit, take your seat on the stage. May the best team win!"

Melissa followed Natalie to the wall, and touched the wall with their hands. They watched in anticipation, as the Coach placed the thirty different sized foam balls on the centre line.

"McCall! Stilinski! No cheating. Your hands must be touching the wall!" Coach shouted at John and Raphael. He waited until they complied. He blasted on the whistle. "Go!" He shouted, watching the teenagers run to snatch up the balls.

One of the boys chucked a foam ball at Melissa, and it whizzed past her head, narrowly missing her. She spotted Raphael, ball in hand, and she quickly backed up.

"Quick, give me one of those," Melissa said to the girl standing beside her, noting how the girl was holding two dodgeballs. The girl passed one to her. Melissa ran forward, and nailed Raphael right in the stomach with the ball. He looked surprised, then angry.

"You're out!" She said, victorious. Raphael gave her a dirty look, as he walked to the stage, and hoisted himself up to sit with the losers.

Melissa looked at the opposing team, spotting Trevor Boyd, and John Stilinski skulking in the back.

She wanted to win the game, so Melissa grabbed one of the balls rolling past her.

"Look out, Johnny!" One of the boys warned, as she flung the ball. She missed.

"Haha, Oh, you suck, Garcia!" Boyd shouted, grinning at her. He got struck with a ball in the left shoulder. Natalie and Melissa turned in surprise to see shy Margaret Miller.

"Good job, Mags." Natalie said, giving her a high-five. "Nice throw."

Melissa ducked as a ball nearly hit her. Maggie got hit in the chest, and left to sit on the stage. John was the only guy left on his team, against Nat and Melissa. Natalie came to Melissa's side, carrying fresh ammo.

"Let's get the sucker," Nat said, stepping forward. They each took a shot, the first ball flying past Stilinski's elbow, the other hitting him dead in the chest.

Coach blew his shrill whistle. "That's a game! Girls win!" He announced, as the losers scrambled off the stage.

John Stilinski walked across the centre line to talk to the girls' team.

"Nice shot, Garcia." He said, grinning at her. "You've got quite the arm."

"Thanks," Melissa said.

"You too, Nat." John told her.

After John walked away, Natalie turned to Melissa. "I think he likes you," She said, her eyes lighting up. "Do you think he's cute?"

Melissa snuck another peek at John Stilinski. "Yeah," She decided. "He is."

"You should ask him out!" Nat said. Melissa rolled her eyes at her best friend. She'd only dated one guy in junior high, and she barely even knew Stilinski.

As soon as the bell rang for lunch, Melissa and Natalie joined the line in the cafeteria, and bought their food. Natalie spotted the boys in the far corner of the lunchroom, and quickly ran over.

"Hey, can we sit with you?" Nat asked, looking at John and Raphael. They nodded.

"So, guys, got any plans for this weekend?" Natalie asked. "See, I'm thinking of throwing a party at my house."

"A drinking party?" John asked, hopeful.

The girls laughed. "Of course. What other kind would we throw?" Natalie said, dipping her fry in ketchup.

"Yeah, that sounds fun." Raphael said.


	2. Chapter 2

It was Friday night, and Natalie was excited to host her first ever high school party. Her mom was away for the night at a work retreat, and she had given Natalie explicit instructions to have no guests over. Melissa had told her own mom that she was going to Nat's for a sleepover, so she could help clean up after the party on Saturday morning.

Natalie had asked her older cousin to buy the drinks for her, which he did for a hefty price. The food was all set, the drinks laid out on the table, and the guests were about to arrive. She hoped it would all go well.

The doorbell rang, and Natalie ran to answer it. She was glad to see her friends, and a dozen people from school that she didn't know too well.

"Come in!" She told everyone. The pile of shoes and jackets quickly grew in the front hall.

She'd set out bowls of chips and dip in the dining room, and a few bottles of alcohol, coke, and ginger ale. Her cousin had also bought two flats of beer.

Raphael and John had each sneaked a bottle of drink from their parents' supply, and Melissa had brought three bottles of coke, in case they ran out.

"Help yourself!" She told them, ripping open the bag of red plastic cups. She handed the sharpie to John so he could write his name on his drink.

Raphael quickly took over the music for the party, as he'd brought a shoebox full of cassette tapes. He stuck one into the stereo, and cranked up the volume as loud as it could go. The kids started to get up and dance, feeling the music shake the floor from being so loud.

"This is awesome!" Melissa shouted into Natalie's ear, as she poured herself another drink.

As the night went on, some of the guests got a bit rowdy. There was a near mishap when a drunken Margaret had stumbled into the china cabinet in the dining room, and nearly knocked over an expensive vase. Luckily, John had managed to catch it in time, and he put it in the pantry for safe keeping.

Melissa and John took their drinks out to the wraparound porch, and sat together on the porch swing. She took a sip of her drink, as John reached for her hand.

"I love you," John told her, kissing her on the cheek. Melissa smiled at him, could smell the alcohol on his breath. His arm was draped around the back of the chair. John gave her a wide grin, as he leaned in and tried to kiss her again.

"Whoa, I think we should take it easy." Melissa told him, moving away from him. "You're super drunk, John."

"And you are super hot." He told her.

"I like you, John," Melissa told him. "But I barely know you. How 'bout we take it a bit slower, yeah?" She said. Melissa stood up and started to go back inside. John suddenly looked queasy, and he quickly jumped to his feet, and puked over the railing. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

"Hey," She said. "You alright?"

"I don't feel so good," He said, lying down on the swing. John closed his eyes. "I'm just gonna lie here for a while, if that's okay." He told her.

Melissa went back into Natalie's house, moving her way through the crowd of kids dancing. Aidan Harris was trying to coax Margaret to dance with him, but she refused. She spotted Raphael and Natalie on the loveseat, making out. Melissa took a blanket off the back of the couch, and went back outside.

September days were still relatively warm, but the nights were already starting to get chilly. She unfolded the blanket, and tucked it around Stilinski. He was passed out, breathing evenly, his hands tucked underneath his chest like a little baby bird.

She sat down on the porch, and leaned her back against the swing. Melissa suddenly felt exhausted as well, from partying until four in the morning, to the excessive amount of alcohol she'd drunk. She leaned her head back against the swing, and closed her eyes.

Natalie shook Melissa awake.

"Mel, it's almost ten o'clock!" She said, urgently. "Most everyone's gone home already."

Melissa looked behind her, and saw that John was still passed out.

"Mom's coming home in two hours – the house is trashed." Natalie said, worried. She went back inside the house to start collecting the garbage.

Melissa stood up, and nudged John awake. "Hey," She said, as John slowly opened his eyes. "We need your help cleaning up."

"Whe – Where am I?" John asked, looking around.

"Natalie's. Remember the party last night?" Melissa said, pulling him to his feet. John groaned, holding his head.

"I think i'm gonna be sick." He said, leaning over the railing, retching.

"Did I kiss you?" He asked, blushing.

"Yup. Twice." Melissa said, leading him inside.

"Sorry." He said.

"For the record, Stilinski, you're a pretty good kisser." She told him, leaning down to pick up the empty beer cans strewn along the living room carpet.

"I am?" He said, surprised.

They rushed to clean Natalie's house over the next two hours, collecting bags of garbage, and gathering all the empties, and scrubbing down the bathroom and kitchen.

"Whew," Melissa said, sinking into the couch. "I'm so glad we finished on time. Your mom's gonna be home any minute now."

They had discovered a few unopened cans of beer, and a bottle of Jack Daniel's during the clean-up. John suggested they go out to the woods that night, and finish them off. The girls thought it sounded like a pretty good plan.

"Here, pass me that bottle." John said, grabbing it from Raphael. He took a swig from the Jack Daniels.

"Save some for the rest of us!" Raphael laughed, taking it back. The fire crackled, and he could see his friends' faces lit up around the circle.

"Who's up for a game of Never have I ever?" Natalie shouted out, drinking from her bottle, and passing it to Melissa.

"Yeah!" John said. "Start us off, Nat!"

"Never have I ever . . . smoked a cigarette." She said. The two girls took another gulp. John, and Raphael laughed.

"C'mon, we wanna get drunk here!" Raph shouted. "Pick something better!"

"Okay, okay, Never have I ever . . . been to Hollywood." Melissa said. Raph and Nat took a drink.

"Never have I ever . . . kissed a guy!" Raphael said, cackling. The girls took another drink.

"Never have I ever . . . had sex." John said, blushing a little. Nat took a gulp of her drink.

"Really?" Melissa said, surprised. "When did that happen?"

"Summer fling. It was pretty brief." Natalie told her, shrugging.

They continued playing for a while.

"What are you all gonna do after high school?" Raphael asked, lying on his front. He looked around the circle.

"I want to go to medical school." Melissa said. "Be a nurse."

"Be super rich." Natalie said, grinning. "Nah, I'll probably be a chemist, or in a lab somewhere."

"I want to be a cop." John said, smiling. "I've always thought that it sounded pretty cool."

"Me too!" Raphael said, grinning at his friend. "As soon as I graduate, i'm leaving this shit hole, though. I can't stand this place."

"Not me, man." John told him. "I like Beacon Hills."


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you going to the basketball tryouts on Monday?" Raphael asked, as he slid into his seat beside John. It was English class, and they were supposed to be working on a creative writing project.

"I don't know if I'm going – I'm pretty terrible player." John told him.

"Come on," Raph told him, earnestly. "It'll be pretty fun."

John picked up his pencil, and started doodling in the margin of his schoolwork.

"Yeah, I guess." He said, to appease his friend. John hated sports, and had often been bullied in junior high during gym class. If he went out there and failed at the tryouts, John was worried he'd look like a fool in front of his new friends. Maybe it would be better just to skip it altogether, save himself the embarrassment.

"Oh, cool! There's tryouts today?" Melissa said, turning around in her seat to face the boys. "Are there girls allowed on the team, or just guys?"

Raphael gave her a funny look. "It's a boys team. Girls can't play basketball."

"Does Beacon Hills have a girls team?" She asked.

"No. Girls have volleyball and swimming." Raphael told her.

"Well, that's pretty sexist." Melissa commented. "We should be allowed to have the same amount of opportunities as you guys do."

"You'll have to take that up with Coach." Raphael said, annoyed. "I didn't make the rules."

"Oh, I plan on it." Melissa said, as she turned back to work on her assignment.

After class was finished, Melissa walked over to Coach's office, and knocked on the door.

"Come in," He said, glancing up at her. The Coach was in his fifties, with grey hair and a permanent frown. Melissa thought he looked pretty intimidating, but she was determined to have her say.

"Coach, is it true that girls aren't allowed to try out for the basketball team?" She asked, sitting herself down in the empty chair. "That's pretty unfair."

"You want to try out for the team?" Coach said, incredulous. "We don't have a girl's team, Garcia."

"I don't get it. Why aren't girls allowed to play?" Melissa asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and staring up at the Coach.

"Melissa, it's a _boys_ team. That's just how it is." Coach said, giving her a sympathetic look. "Why don't you just tryout for volleyball next week like the rest of the girls?"

"But I hate volleyball." Melissa told him. "What if I got a petition started? How many signatures would I need?" She asked.

"Tell you what, if you can get two hundred signatures, I'll let you and any other girl try out for the team." He told her, sitting down at his desk. "But that doesn't automatically qualify you for a spot on the team."

"Okay." She said, hopeful.

"Sign the petition?" Melissa asked, pushing the clipboard towards Margaret and Natalie. "Two hundred signatures, and girls can tryout for basketball."

Natalie and Margaret quickly signed their names. Melissa moved on, asking a few students in the crowded hallway. Most people either laughed, or completely ignored her. Melissa felt someone tap her on the shoulder.

"Can I sign it?"

She turned around to see an older girl with dark brown hair, and large, brown eyes. Melissa had seen her a few times in the cafeteria, but she didn't know the girl's name.

"Sure," She said, handing her the clipboard.

The girl scrawled her name on the page, and handed it back. "I'm Talia, by the way. Talia Hale. I'm a senior. Did you want me to talk to some of the kids in my class about your petition?"

Melissa nodded, gratefully. "Thanks," She said.

"This is pretty cool that you're fighting to let girls play. I wanted to tryout in my freshman year, but Coach wouldn't give any girls the chance." She explained, walking alongside Melissa in the crowded hallway.

Talia stopped in front of a group of seniors, and held out the petition.

"Anyone want to sign our petition? We're trying to get Coach to change his mind about having boys-only basketball teams."

A few of the students stepped forward, and wrote down their names. Melissa thanked them.

"See?" Talia said, beaming. "We've already got fifteen names on here. That's a start!"

They continued through the hallways, and hit up the smoking area outside. Melissa spent her entire lunch period with Talia, trying to fulfill her quota. When the bell rang, they counted the signatures. One hundred and forty five. Melissa's heart sank. She still didn't have enough.

"Hey, it'll be okay," Talia told her, putting a hand on Melissa's shoulder. "We'll keep trying."

"Tryouts are on Monday," Melissa said. "That means we only have tomorrow to find fifty five more people."

"We can do this." Talia said, confidently. "We haven't even asked any teachers yet. Or the principal. This school has three janitors, maybe they'll sign."

Melissa took a deep breath. "You're right," She said. "We have to keep trying."


	4. Chapter 4

"Please," Melissa begged. "Will you sign your name?" She asked, holding out the petition. "I just need one more signature, so I can make the try outs after school."

The teacher smiled at her, as he took the clipboard from her. He signed his name, and handed it back.

"Thank you, so much." Melissa told him. Thanks to the help from Talia, she officially had two hundred signatures. Lunch was nearly over, so Melissa brought the petition to Coach's office, and knocked sharply on the door.

"Sir, I got the signatures." She said, handing him the clipboard.

Coach looked at the papers, and smiled at Melissa. "Congratulations, try outs are after school."

She rushed to get to her next class on time, and slid into her seat just as the teacher started to write on the board. Mid-way through the lesson, the intercom squawked, and Coach made an announcement.

"Attention Beacon Hills students, don't forget our basketball tryouts will be today after school. Thanks to Talia Hale and Melissa Garcia's petition, we will now be allowing girls to try out for the boys team. Try outs will be held at four o'clock in the gym."

Students swivelled in their seats to grin at Melissa. John clapped her on the shoulder, and whispered "Good job." Melissa was unused to that much attention from her peers, and she found herself blushing.

"Alright, Garcia, you're up!" Coach shouted, blasting on his whistle. She was nervous, her sweaty hands gripping the ball tightly. Melissa didn't want to blow her shot at making the team. She wanted to prove that she was good enough.

Melissa was paired up against Bobby Finstock, a chubby boy with short-cropped brown hair. He sat behind her in math class, and he desperately wanted to make the team. Melissa suspected that his desperation stemmed from the constant bullying he got from some of the jocks in their year. She wondered if his social status would change, if he managed to make the team.

Coach threw the ball into the air, and Melissa jumped up and grabbed it. She felt a bit bad for Bobby's obvious lack of athletic skill, as she quickly faked to the left and stepped around him. Melissa easily made the shot.

"You suck, Finstock!" Brady and Lewis called out, laughing harshly. "Get off the court!"

Melissa could see Bobby's face completely crimson, as he walked beside her. She gave Brady and Lewis a dirty look, as she linked arms with Finstock.

"Sorry," She told Finstock, as Coach called out the next two students.

"It's okay," He said, glumly. "They're right, I _do_ suck."

"You just need more practise. Good luck making the team," She told him. "I mean it."

Bobby gave her defeated look. In his mind, he'd already written off his chances of making the team.

Melissa sat on the bleachers between Raphael and John, and watched the two boys compete. John looked as nervous as she felt - his hand rubbing the back of his neck, John's gaze never leaving the players. Melissa put her hand over John's, and gave it a light squeeze.

"You'll do fine, Stilinski." She told him, giving him an encouraging smile. John looked at her, and gave her a small smile.

"Thanks," He said.

"Stilinski! McCall!" Coach called out. "You're up."

Melissa watched her two friends stand up, and walk over to the coach. They crouched, facing each other, as Coach threw the basketball above their heads. Raphael had the advantage of being taller, and he was able to snatch it out of John's grasp. She watched as John tried desperately to take possession of the ball, but Raphael kept it just out of his reach. Frustrated, John chased after Raphael as he easily dribbled the ball down the court.

"Come on, Stilinski!" Melissa shouted from her spot on the bleachers. It was clear that Raphael would make the team, probably make team captain. He was a strong player. Raphael sunk the ball. There was smattering of applause, and laughter from the other players. Melissa groaned, as she watched them walk back to their seats.

"I'm such an idiot," John murmured, slouching low in his seat. "I can't believe you talked me into this."

Raphael laughed. "Stilinski, you did fine. I'm sure you'll get a spot on the team." He said. "You too, Garcia."

They sat together, watching the rest of the students. Apart from Talia and Melissa, only three other girls tried out for the team.

A few days later, Coach posted the results on the bulletin board in the main hallway. Melissa was glad to see both her and Talia's name, as well as Raphael's. Neither Stilinski, or Finstock made the team.

"I knew it," John said, reading over her shoulder. "I didn't even make the team."

"Well, there's always baseball. And hockey." She told him, hoping to lift his spirits.

"Yeah," He said, sticking his hands in his pockets. "I guess."

Melissa ran to find Natalie, and tell her the good news. She found her in the library, working on her homework.

"Guess what," Melissa said, grinning. "I made the team. McCall did, too."

Natalie's face lit up. "That's awesome." She said, hugging her friend.

"Oh, I can't wait to play! Are you going to come to the games?" She asked.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss them for the world." Natalie told her.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey," Raphael said to his friends. "Are you guys ready for that math test on monday? I think I'm going to fail."

John looked up from his binder, giving Raph a tired look. The group were studying in the library during lunch break, their schoolwork spread out over the large, circular table.

"I honestly don't understand any of chapter three," John admitted, rubbing his eyes. The excitement of starting high school had quickly faded after a few days, leaving him feeling constantly sleep-deprived as he struggled to keep up with his classes.

"It's pretty easy. I can tutor you after school if you want." Natalie offered, glancing up at him.

"Sign me up too," Melissa said, staring at the textbook in confusion. "I have no idea what i'm doing."

They agreed to meet at Natalie's house at six that evening, for a cram session. The bell rang, dispersing students in a mad rush to get to fourth period. Melissa stood up, and grabbed her books. Her English class was across the building, and she had to push through the crowded hallways.

She inwardly cursed as two girls in front of her walked at a snail's pace, arms linked. There wasn't enough room to slide past them, so Melissa waited impatiently for them to speed up.

"What took you so long?" John whispered, as Melissa slid into her seat. The teacher had the projector already set up, and students were starting to take down their notes.

"Hallway was full of slow idiots." She told him, taking out her binder. "God. Could they walk any slower?"

"Garcia! Stilinski! Stop talking, and get to work." Their teacher called out, watching them crossly.

"Sorry," they mumbled, frantically trying to copy down the notes before the teacher switched to the next slide.

That night, the group met at Natalie's house, and took over the living room. Raphael and John lay on their stomachs in the centre of the room, and pored over their work. Melissa curled up in the armchair, and tried to figure out her math homework.

"I don't get it!" She finally said, closing her textbook in frustration. Natalie got up and walked over.

"Here, let me take a look." She said, looking over Melissa's work. She grabbed a pencil, and a sheet of paper. "Here, watch how I do it." She said, and the kids crowded around Natalie as she worked on the problems.

"You make it look so easy," John grumbled, as she quickly solved the equations. "I don't even know why they need to add letters in math. It only complicates things further." He said, staring at the algebra.

Natalie continued to do the work, explaining her process repeatedly until her friends were able figure it out.

"Thanks," Raphael said, as he lied back down. "It looked so difficult, but now I think i'm actually getting the hang of it."

When they were finished their schoolwork, Raphael rode his bike home. John offered to walk Melissa home, as they lived on the same side of town. She collected her things, and followed him outside.

"I wanted to ask you something," John said, looking nervously at Melissa. "And don't laugh." He told her.

"What?" She asked, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" John asked, eyes darting to her face. Melissa grinned at him.

"Yeah," She said, kissing him. They continued walking, and John reached down and clasped his hand around Melissa's.

"Can I have your phone number? I want to call you tonight, now that we're officially dating." John said, blushing profusely. Melissa pulled out a piece of looseleaf, and wrote her number down. She kissed him again, and went upstairs to her apartment. John watched her go inside the building, before continuing on to his house.

As soon as John walked in the door, he grabbed the clunky phone out of his dad's bedroom, and dragged it to his bedroom. He closed the door, and called Melissa. She answered on the first ring.

"Hey," She said.

"Hey, yourself." John told her. He sat, twisting the coiled cord through his fingers as they talked for the better part of an hour.

"Will you come to my baseball tryouts tomorrow? I'm so nervous." John asked her.

"Sure," She said. Melissa's mom knocked on her bedroom door, and told her she needed to use the phone.

"Yeah, in a minute," Melissa said, waving her off. "I'm talking to John."

"Not in a minute. I need it right now. You've been hogging it for nearly an hour. Get off the damned phone." Her mom said, annoyed.

"_Fine_. I gotta go. I'll see you at tryouts tomorrow." Melissa said, reluctantly hanging up the phone.

The tryouts for the baseball team were held early Saturday morning, at the Beacon Hills baseball diamond. John was eager to join, as he'd been practising all summer with his dad.

"Good luck!" Melissa told him, giving him a quick kiss before he walked onto the field. She took out her water bottle, and unscrewed the lid. Melissa was glad she'd brought her water and her ballcap to watch the tryouts, it was such a scorching day.

"Can I sit with you?" A voice asked. Melissa looked up to see John's dad, Mr. Stilinski. She smiled at him, as he sat beside her.

"He better make the team," Mr. Stilinski said. "John's been practising for months."

They watched as John was called up to bat. He looked nervous. John tapped the baseball bat against the inside of his sneakers, and spat onto the hard-packed dirt. He raised the bat to his right shoulder, and prepared to swing.

"Come on," Melissa urged, staring at the baseball diamond. "Let's go, Stilinski!" She shouted out, hoping to give her boyfriend encouragement.

"Strike one!" The umpire called out. John waited for the second pitch. His bat connected with the ball on the second throw, and he watched as it sailed into the air. The players scrambled to fetch the ball, as it went over the chainlink fence in the far end of the diamond. John dropped the bat near home plate, and jogged the bases. Home run.

John could hear his dad and Melissa cheer him on, and he raised a hand to shade the sun out of his eyes. He could see them sitting in the bleachers, waving excitedly at him.

Coach clapped a hand on John Stilinski's shoulder. "Congratulations, son. You've made the team." He said, smiling down at the blond teenager. After John walked off the field, Melissa ran and threw her arms around him.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you! I _knew_ you'd make the team." She said, inhaling his mixed scent of sweat, and sunscreen. "You did awesome."

"Looks like all that practise paid off, John." Mr. Stilinski said, beaming down at his son. "Congratulations."


	6. Chapter 6

John was waiting for her when Melissa got off the bus, and she ran to him.

"Hey," She said, grabbing his hand. He kissed her on the cheek.

"Did you study for the math test last night?" He asked. Melissa nodded. The test was first period, something she was dreading it all weekend.

"I think I'm ready," She told him, as they walked together into the building. "Natalie came over on Sunday, and she helped me study a bit more. I feel way more confident about this test now." Melissa told him.

"Does Natalie know we're dating?" He asked.

"Yeah, of course. I told her right away." Melissa said, looking around for Raphael. "Where's McCall?"She asked, scanning the crowd.

"Probably on the court." John said, as they walked around the side of the building.

Raphael was dribbling basketball on the outdoor court, and he glanced up when Melissa and John walked over. He looked surprised to see his friends hand-in-hand. A strange, pained look crossed his face for a minute.

"You two an item now?" Raph said, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah." John said, blushing. "Since Friday night."

"Huh." Raphael said, turning his back on them, and throwing the ball into the hoop. Melissa wondered what Raphael was thinking. He looked jealous, which was weird. He'd never expressed interest in her romantically before. They'd only ever been friends, and lately, team-mates. Nothing more.

"Where's Nat?" Melissa asked, watching Raphael's tensed shoulders and clenched jaw.

"I don't know." He said, curtly. One of the guys on the court called out to Raphael to pass the ball, and Raphael quickly turned away from them. They left him on the court, and walked into the school. Natalie was at her locker, applying her make-up in the tiny, magnetic mirror.

"Hey, you two," Nat said, grinning at them.

"Just left Raphael outside on the court. It was weird – when he saw us together, he looked jealous." John said, cocking his head to the side. "Has he mentioned liking Melissa?"

"Not to me." Natalie said, recapping her lipstick, and grabbing her math textbook out of her locker. "I thought he was into Alicia."

"Juarez?" Melissa said, thinking of the tiny latino girl in their art class. "She's pretty."

"Who do you like?" John asked, following her into math class.

"Peter Martin's kinda hot." Natalie said, glancing over her shoulder at Peter.

"Peter's a dick." Melissa said, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, well. He's still pretty hot." Natalie laughed.

"You gonna ask him out?" Melissa asked her, as she pulled out her calculator and pencil. "We could do a double date or something."

"Okay." Natalie said, grinning. "Make it a triple, if Alicia and Raphael ever become a couple."

"What if she says no to Raph?" John asked. "That could be awkward for the poor guy. He'd be the third wheel."

Melissa gave John a wry grin. "He's popular, and pretty hot. I'm sure he'll find someone."

John's mouth dropped open. "You think he's hot?" He said, surprised.

"Objectively. Don't worry, I'm into you." Melissa told him, as the teacher handed out the tests.

Melissa had basketball practise after school, so she quickly changed into her gym clothes and met up with the team in the centre of the gymnasium. She tried to get Raphael's attention, but he was talking to Trevor Boyd about some TV show he'd seen.

"Alright kids," Coach said, "Divide yourself into two teams. We're going to do two laps around the gym, then play a quick scrimmage game."

The kids started to sort themselves into teams. Talia and Raphael were quickly nominated for team captains for the scrimmage, and they chose their players. Melissa was glad to be chosen for Talia's team.

"Hey, when we play I want you to be point guard," Talia told her, as they jogged side-by-side around the gym's perimeter. Melissa nodded.

Raphael pushed roughly into her, jabbing his elbow into Melissa's side. She grunted in pain, and nearly dropped the ball. She dodged around him, and passed the ball to Talia.

"What was that for?" She hissed at him, turning to face him. "That hurt."

He gave her an angry look. "That's for dating my best friend." Raphael told her. "I should never have introduced you two."

"Why do you care who I date, anyway?" She asked, her voice getting louder. Some of the players were giving them a quizzical look, as they continued to play the game.

"Because I _like_ you. Duh!" Raphael told her, crossing his arms over his chest. Melissa was taken aback.

"Since when?" She asked.

"McCall, Garcia!" Coach shouted, walking over. "Can you keep your petty argument off the court, please? We have a scrimmage to play."

Melissa walked back to her teammates.

"Is everything alright?" Talia asked, glancing back at Raphael.

"Yeah," Melissa answered. "Sorry."


	7. Chapter 7

The tension in the group was growing, as Melissa continued to date John Stilinski. Natalie had no problem with her two friends together, but Raphael McCall was still incredibly angry and hurt. He was increasingly jealous of his two friends, and had stopped talking to Melissa altogether. She was sick of being ignored by him, and after two weeks of silent treatment, Melissa decided to confront him.

Melissa frowned, as she stared at the back of Raph's head. He was slouched over his work, pencil tapping his looseleaf incessantly. The constant noise was driving her crazy.

"RAPH!" Melissa finally whispered, loud enough to get him to turn around. "I need to talk to you."

He didn't turn around, or acknowledge her in any way. Melissa leaned over, and jabbed him sharply with her pencil. He flinched, and whirled around in his seat to glare at her. His large, brown eyes stared daggers at her.

"I have nothing further to say to you," He said, angrily. "Leave me alone."

"Stop being such a baby, McCall." She whispered. "You're supposed to be my friend. Stop ignoring me."

He continued to glare at her. "You suck, Garcia."

"How was I supposed to know you liked me? You'd never even implied it."

"Why do you think I've been hanging out with you for so long?" He asked. "All through eighth grade, and now in high school."

"Because we're friends?" She told him, throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation.

"Yes, and because I like you. Alot." He told her, in a rushed whisper. Melissa glanced up to notice their teacher walking towards them.

"Well, you should've said something." Melissa said, as Raphael turned back to his work. "Now it's too late."

As soon as class was over, Melissa watched Raphael rush out of the classroom. She slowly gathered her books, and walked to her locker. Natalie was waiting for her.

"Come here," Natalie told her, linking arms and pushing through the crowded hallway. Natalie showed Melissa the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board, excitedly jabbing at the paper.

"West Side Story," Natalie crowed, her green eyes lighting up. "I love that movie! Can you imagine? We could be in our first high school production!"

Melissa had never acted on stage before, and she gave Natalie a hesitant look. "Umm . . . I'll think about it."

"Hey, you should try out for Maria. You definitely look the part." Natalie told her.

"Why? Cause I'm latino?" Melissa said, laughing. "I'm pretty sure the main actress will need to be able to sing. And act. Neither of which I'm very good at."

"You're singing is fine," Natalie assured her. "But your acting skills definitely need work."

"What about you? Are you going to audition?"

"For sure." Natalie gushed. "Maybe I'll get a speaking part! Or even chorus would be good!" She said, as they walked to gym class.

"When are auditions being held?"Melissa asked.

"Next week. Gives us plenty of time to practise. We should rent the movie after school. By the way, are you and Raphael talking now or what? This is getting ridiculous." Natalie told her, as they changed into their gym clothes.

"He's still pretty pissed off."Melissa said, lacing up her hightops. "I tried to talk to him last class, but he is still upset that I'm with John, and not him."

Natalie shook her head a little. "Well," She said. "That really sucks."

They were supposed to be playing badminton, Melissa and Natalie on one team, versus Bobby and Trevor. Mostly, they lazily passed the birdie across the net as they chatted.

The Halloween dance was on Friday, and Natalie was surprised that her friend still hadn't decided what costume to wear.

"You've only got two days, Mel." She said, lobbing the birdie in Bobby's direction. He swung violently, and missed his intended target.

"Well, I can't decide. Astronaut costume, maybe?" Melissa said. "Werewolf?"

"How 'bout sexy nurse?" Trevor told her, flashing her a large grin. "We could play doctor."

"You'd like that, huh?" Melissa teased, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "I think I know what I'm going as. Wednesday Addams from the Addams family."

Natalie laughed. "That'd be a pretty good costume." She said, backhanding Bobby's serve.

"What about you, Finstock?" Melissa asked.

"A zombie." He told her, grinning.

Natalie and Melissa went to the mall after school to buy their costumes. They scoured the racks for an outfit, but because it was so close to Halloween most of the good costumes were already gone.

"Slim pickings," Natalie said, disdainfully looking at the rack of costumes. The place was teeming with last-minute shoppers searching frantically through the racks, many of the outfits being trodden underfoot.

Melissa snatched up a black witch dress, and a few packets of make-up. She picked out a pair of black boots, and a pointed hat.

"Alright," She said. "Let's get outta here." Melissa was feeling a bit claustrophobic with all the people pushing against her, and she wanted desperately to break free from the crowd so they could finish their shopping.

"Maybe we should get a pumpkin!" Natalie said, leaning into the crate and taking in the scent of soil-covered squash. "We could carve it while we watch Nightmare on Elm Street tomorrow."

Melissa looked through the selection, and picked out a nice, round pumpkin.

"This one is good." She said, putting it in the bottom of their cart.

"Are we inviting the guys over tomorrow too, or just us?" Melissa asked her, as they browsed the nearly-empty shelves of Halloween candy. She picked out a bag of candy corn, and a bag of baby ruth candy bars.

"I asked John, and he said he'd go. Raphael is still unsure." Natalie told her, scanning the shelves. "We need more candy. Grab some of those bags of snickers, and we'll go get some chips."

"I'm gonna call McCall when I get home. Convince him to hang out with us. He can't just ignore me forever because I'm dating Stilinski." Melissa said, frowning.


	8. Chapter 8

"Raphael, we want to invite you over to watch scary movies tomorrow." Natalie told him, as they worked on their sketching assignment. He was staring intently at the bowl of fruit in the centre of their table. He was working on his third attempt.

"Not interested." He told her, picking up his pencil.

"Seriously?" She said, tilting her head. "You're so childish."

"I'm going to Finstock's after school. He has a basketball hoop in his driveway, I'm going to play a few games with him." Raph said.

"Finstock?" Melissa asked. "I didn't even know you two were friends!"

"We are now," He said, glaring at Melissa. "I made a few new friends lately."

John elbowed Raphael in the side. "Dude, we're trying to be nice to you." He said, annoyed. "We all miss you, just hang out with us already."

"I bought candy and chips." Natalie said. "We're gonna watch Nightmare on Elm Street."

Raphael looked up from his work. "That's a great film." He said, smiling a little.

"Yeah, it is." John told him.

"Bring Finstock with you," Natalie told him. "We're meeting at my house at six tonight." She said, grinning at Melissa and John.

Raphael and Bobby showed up at Natalie's house with a full backpack of horror films, and a mickey of alcohol. Bobby brought a large bag of pretzels, and a case of Sprite.

"C'mon," Natalie said, bringing the group of friends up to her spacious bedroom. There was enough room in front of her TV to spread out a few blankets and throw pillows, and set out the bowls of candy and pretzels.

"Try not to spill any drinks on the carpet, though," Natalie said. "My mom will kill me if I wreck the carpet."

Raphael stuck the movie into the VCR, and fast-forwarded over the previews. He sat back on the blanket, as the movie started. Melissa and John sat with their backs against Natalie's bedframe, and held hands.

Bobby grabbed a handful of chips, staring wide-eyed at the screen. "I've never seen this movie before." He said, excited. "Is it really scary?"

"Not really. It's pretty tame." Raphael told him.

"Hey, pass the candy corn." Natalie demanded, as she lay on her bed. John obliged, picking up the large bowl and passing it over his shoulder to her.

They were sprawled out all over Natalie's room, as the TV blared Nightmare on Elm Street. It was nearly over, and the group was starting to get bored.

"Have you guys seen the Shining yet?" Raphael asked, pulling out the VHS tape from his backpack. "It's really good. I brought a few movies with me."

Melissa shook her head. "I read the book last year, but I've never seen it yet."

John rolled his eyes. "That movie is so overrated. And excruciatingly long."

"My dad's a pretty big Stephen King fan. I also brought IT." He said, handing it to Melissa. She shuddered.

"Clowns." She said, staring at the picture. "That's terrifying."

Raphael laughed. "Exactly." He said, looking to John and Natalie for their opinion.

"I vote IT." John said, unwrapping a candy bar. "It looks scary."

"Me too," Natalie said. She gave Melissa an apologetic look.

"Yeah," Bobby agreed.

They put the movie in, and sat back to watch it. Melissa hated clowns with a passion, their creepy painted-on grins, and bright clothes. They unnerved her. She remembered when her mom had taken her to a parade in kindergarten, a clown had tried to give her a balloon, and she'd started bawling.

The film was every bit as scary as she'd thought it would be. She could guarantee there'd be no sleep tonight, thanks to Clown, AKA Pennywise.

Melissa squeezed John's hand as she stared aghast at the screen. "I hate this," She murmured.

"Clowns can't actually kill you, you know. There just people in costumes." John whispered to her, trying to give her comfort. It didn't help.

"Coulrophobia is not uncommon. There's a reason why it's called a phobia – it's an irrational fear." She said, drawing her knees to her chest. "It doesn't have to make sense to be terrifying."

It was nearly midnight. Melissa was sleeping over, so the boys gathered up their stuff and got a ride home from Natalie's mom.

The next morning, Melissa took out her costume and laid it out on Natalie's bed. She'd purchased the long, black dress and tights yesterday. Melissa borrowed a white collar for her costume from one of her mom's dresses, and carefully dabbed the white makeup on her skin. When Natalie walked in, Melissa was carefully dividing her hair into two braids.

"Oh, let me help you," Nat told her, sitting down on the bed, and grabbing the hairbrush from her friends' hand. Melissa's curly, unmanageable hair took forever to braid into two neat plaits.

"Now, I need to get ready." Natalie said, opening her closet and digging around for her costume. She pulled out a pair of white tights, a tulle skirt, and a bodysuit.

"Ballerina?" Melissa asked.

"Yeah," Nat said. "What do you think?" She asked, holding the outfit to her body and giving a twirl.

"Definitely suits you."

Natalie changed into her costume, then sat down to apply her makeup. She put on silver eyeshadow, and black winged eyeliner. She dug through her cosmetic bag, and pulled out a red lipstick.

"What about your hair?" Melissa asked.

"I'm thinking a crown braid." Nat said.

"Okay." Melissa said, watching Natalie methodically take each strand and braid it. It took her nearly ten minutes to complete the crown. When she was finished, the girls went downstairs to eat breakfast before going to school.


End file.
